The present invention relates to an apparatus for the slicing of food products in accordance with the preamble of claim 1.
Such apparatuses are generally known from the prior art (cf. U.S. Pat. No. 3,019,578) and serve to slice a food product and to separate the cut product slices from one another by intercalated layers, for example inserted paper sheets. It has, however, generally proved to be problematic to achieve a proper insertion of the intercalated sheet at the slicing speeds usual today.
It is the object of the present invention to improve an apparatus of the kind first mentioned such that a proper insertion of intercalated sheets is possible between individual, cut product slices even at very high slicing speeds with low constructive effort.
This object is solved by the features of claim 1 and in particular by the intercalated sheet feeding device having a compressed air device which introduces compressed air into a region between a continuous strip and a cutting plane. In accordance with the invention, the compressed air is thus introduced between the continuous strip and the cutting plane such that a partial vacuum can be produced between the continuous strip and the product located on the product support by use of the hydrodynamic paradox. An air flow is thus produced between the surface of the product located in the cutting plane and the continuous strip which has the effect that the pressure becomes lower in this region between the continuous strip and the food product than the air pressure outside this region and thus also the air pressure at the other side of the continuous strip. The continuous strip is thereby sucked toward the surface of the product located in the cutting plane. The continuous strip can, however, not contact the product since the continuously supplied air flow prevents this.
The apparatus of the invention has an extremely simple constructional design and needs only a few mechanically moving parts.
Advantageous embodiments of the invention are described in the description, the drawing and the dependent claims.
In accordance with a first advantageous embodiment, the intercalated sheet feeding device can have at least one air outlet which is orientated approximately at a right angle to the cutting plane. Such an orientation of the air outlet has shown unexpectedly good results, even though one would expect that an air flow orientated in this manner would not bring the continuous strip into contact with the product in the direction of the cutting plane, but would prevent such a contact.
In accordance with a further advantageous embodiment, the intercalated sheet feeding device can have at least one air outlet whichxe2x80x94seen in the cutting planexe2x80x94extends approximately over the whole region of the product support. It is ensured in this way that the desired suction of the continuous strip is ensured over substantially the whole width of the food product to be sliced.
The intercalated sheet feeding device preferably has a substantially horizontal outlet for the continuous strip which is preferably arranged in the region of the cutting plane. Such an arrangement has proved to be advantageous in particular with a product support arranged at a slope with respect to the horizontal axis (angle of inclination, for example, around 40xc2x0), since it is hereby ensured that the continuous strip first exits in the horizontal direction, but is subsequently sucked parallel to the cutting plane by the partial vacuum produced. It is particularly advantageous if the exit of the continuous strip and the air outlet of the intercalated sheet feeding device are mutually orientated at an acute angle of around 30xc2x0 to 40xc2x0, in particular around 35xc2x0, since particularly good results were able to be achieved therewith in trials.
The intercalated sheet feeding device can have an outlet for the continuous strip which can simultaneously serve as a counter blade for the continuous strip. A separate cutting device can be provided for the cutting off of a section of the continuous strip. It is, however, also possible to separate a section of the continuous strip by the cutting procedure, that is by the knife rotating in the cutting plane.
In accordance with a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the intercalated sheet feeding device can have at least one drive roll or drive roller which effects the feed of the continuous strip. The exit of the continuous strip can be provided either beneath the product supply or also above the product to be sliced.
In accordance with a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the intercalated sheet feeding device is arranged above the product support so that the intercalated sheet material is supplied from the top to the bottom in front of the product. This embodiment has the advantage that cutting residues and contamination arising during cutting cannot enter into the region of the intercalated sheet feeding device. Furthermore, a simpler replacement of an empty roll of intercalated sheet material is possible.